Down to the Wire on Health Care with Hoyer on MSNBC

... his case w will be hearard by t united states supreme cocourt. he's with us tonight. >>>> and why some on the right are saying sunday's healthh ca vote is an affront too gogod. that stotory, where it belolongn the sidedeshow. >>> finally, i'll finish toninit wiwith my own commentary on government efforts to wagege a r on obesity. we start with h the vote on heah care. congressman steneny hoyer of maryryland is the majority lead. thank you for being here. let't's watch together, here's e president today at george mason ununiversity in virginia. wewe'll listen. >> one year a after t the worst recessssion since the great depression, haviving to make a bunch of touough decisionons, hg had a a tumultuouss debate, ha had a lot of folksks who were skeptical ththat we could get anything done. and righght now, we're at the point whhere we are goingg to d something historic this weekend. that's what this health care vote is all l about. >> so, congreressman, let me a you the $64,000 questioion -- d you u have the votes? >> i think we're goioing to hav the votetes on sunday when theh roll is calledd and w we're goi to pass this bill, yes. >> can i ask you a question about process? by day i'm a talk radio host and it will not surpririse you that hear a lotot of concern about deeming, thehe seself-executing rurule, slaughter. and to many, it sounds nefarious, why the neeeed to go this route? >> well first of all it's not nefarious at all. the e republicans hahave useded about 200 times when they were in charge over 1 12 yearars. let me t tell you w what it rea will is. and every american understands this. lelet's say you're goioing to b house. anand the roof is, is l leaking needs to be fixed. and so you sign thehe contract,o bubuy the house. but y you sayay it's contingentn yoyou're fixing the roof. and i won't settle until y you x the roof. that's's essentially the proces that's been suggested. not t finally decideded on, b b suggested thatat in effect, you vote to buy t the house. that is the e senate bill. you vote for the senate bill. but t that's contingent upon th roof being fixed. that is the reconciliation bil. being passssed. so that it's not, there's nothing nefarious about it at all. i'm sururprised that so mamany people have perceived it as nefarious.s. there'e's going to be a vote on sesenate bill as amended. in effect. which woululd have happened ifi had had a conference. unfortunatately, the republican in the seenate wouldn't votote gogo toto coconference. as a result, t the normal proce, which h would be putting the senate andnd house bills togeth, that is to say, reconcile the differenences between the two. adopt amendments and bring that out, and you'd havave one vote thatat. now we'r're essentitially going have two votes.. under the proposal. which is still under discussio. but there's nothing nefarious about it. straightforwarard, americans ar going to know how theirir membe votedd on health caree reform. we believe that amemericans are gogoing to be for and are for reform. there e have been some differences, obviously, clear differerences on specifics.. but t the americican pupublic, polled on n the specificscs thae in this bill, ovoverwhelmingly endorsee them. and recent polliling shows that the majorityy of them in recent polls, inn ""the wall street t journanal"" poll and thehe ecoco poll, thinink this bill ougught bebe passeed. and we think it wiwill be. >>>> my desire, congressman, is that r regardless of how onene s about this particulalar bill, tt at l least all americans will clearly y understand how their memember of congress voted. so that when the townwn hall meetings begin, when members come homome and start to meet h theirr constituents, my standar, sir, is t that you ought to be able to say to your member o of congngress, were you foror it o against it. and they should d be able t to answer it with a a one-word rep. >> absolututely. i i agree with thhat and i thin they will be ablble to. cleaearly, what will otherwise the conference report.. but in this case, the senate rereport as amended, they'll l yes or n no to that questition. and i ththink we'l'll havave mo yes's's than no'o's and therefo it will passss. i agree with you, the americica pupublic have a rightht to know their member voted. every member o ought to undererd thatat they're either v voting health carare reform or they're not. and d they ought to be able to rerespond cleananly on that iss. you're right. >> on n tomorrow morning,g, the presidident comes to capitotol for one last effort to rally te troops. >> yyes, the president wanted t meet with us, we wantt to see him. we want to talalk about where w are anand what his views are. obviously he maade this a very prprincipled objectiveve in his campmpaign. he told alall americicans that was the policy y he was g going pursue if he was elected. hehe was handily e elected prest of the united states. many of us in the democratic party toldld our c constituents same thing. and in fact, of course, john mccain,n, the republilican cande for president, in an october ...